Privacy Apathy is Real – and You Probably Have It

Navigating the digital landscape these days can, frankly, be a nightmare. It seems like every page you visit requires you to accept cookies, enter personal information, or create an account in order to properly use the site.

Additionally, data breaches are at an all-time high, with personal data leaking every day.

With the enormous amount of digital noise we deal with every day, it’s no surprise that people feel exhausted by it all. This burnout comes with risky cybersecurity behaviors and even potentially dangerous cyber situations – despite the fact that we are constantly encouraged to use privacy software like best VPNs.

There’s only one way to describe this, and that’s with the phrase “privacy apathy.” Read on to learn more about what privacy apathy is, why it’s so dangerous, and what steps you can take to combat privacy apathy in your everyday life .

What is privacy apathy?

Privacy apathy is exactly what it sounds like: being so exhausted and tired of the various procedures you have to go through to exist online that you simply become apathetic about your own online privacy.

Privacy apathy can manifest itself in different ways, including:

Reuse passwords for multiple accounts
Accept cookies instead of refusing them
Entering your personal information on sites
Don’t worry if your data is exposed in data breaches

It’s important to note that what I describe as “privacy apathy” isn’t just a lack of education or misunderstanding about how to stay safe online, it’s about knowing which can ensure your safety but to choose not to do it as is, of course. , much easier.

Additionally, given the scale of data breaches these days, it’s no wonder that people view the leak of their data as a “when it’s not so” situation. In 2023, data breaches increased by 35%, with more than 17 billion personal files disclosed during the year.

One of the clearest examples comes from the password manager. LastPass Password Psychology Reportwhich found that although 89% of respondents agree that reusing passwords or using variations of the same password constitutes risky behavior, only 12% of respondents used unique passwords for everyone their accounts, and 62% admitted to reusing and/or using password variations. the same password on all their accounts.

Other research by Forbes Advisor showed that more than a third (35%) of people admit they think they were hacked due to a weak password, and one in three people say they think they were hacked due to repeated use of the same password.

In addition to this, All about cookies found that 38% of Americans “blindly accept all” cookies, even though more than one in four (27%) know that sites cannot store and sell user information if they reject cookies.

One thing is clear; even though we know what to do to stay safe, we simply don’t do it.

A frustrated looking black woman using a laptop

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How can I combat privacy apathy?

One of the biggest drivers of privacy apathy is simply that it’s easier to reuse passwords, accept all cookies, ignore alerts to change your password, etc.

So how do you combat this? Simple. You make it easier to choose the cyber-secure option and stay safe.

Use a password manager

If you’re guilty of password reuse, and chances are you are, the only way to stop this is to make it easier to create a new password rather than just reusing an old one. .

Get one of the best password managers which will not only save all your passwords for you, but will generate unique and secure passwords for each of your accounts.

You will no longer have difficulty remembering or finding passwords, and you will eliminate the risk of several of your accounts being compromised if one of your passwords is leaked.

Reduce digital noise

Accepting all cookies can be much simpler than refusing them all, especially if you have to manually uncheck third parties in the “legitimate interest” section. However, this allows companies to track you and your data.

To reduce the appeal of the “Accept All” button, simply reduce that digital noise with a cookie and an ad blocker.

VPNs like NordVPN has additional features that can automatically block cookies on websites so you don’t even have to consider them. Another great VPN, Surfsharkhas a feature called Clean Web which blocks all ads and cookie consent pop-ups and alerts you to malware and data breaches.

It is important to note that cookies are used for personalization, tracking and marketing purposes. Therefore, if you block/reject all cookies, your experience on certain websites may be affected.

Look at the data

Even though data breaches seem inevitable, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to protect your personal data regardless. One way to recognize the seriousness of this situation is to really examine how much of your personal data is available online.

HaveIBeenPwned.com is a handy checker that lets you check if your email address or phone number has been compromised in a data breach. This will give you an idea of what you need to protect better to prevent your accounts from being hacked.

If you are concerned about the amount of personal data that legitimate companies hold that could potentially be exposed in a data breach, consider using a data deletion service. Data deletion services contact the companies that hold your data on your behalf and ask them to delete it.

If nothing else, remember this: If your email address or phone number has been leaked, you’ll likely see an increase in annoying scam or spam messages, and no one wants that.